Is Throwing Al Franken Under The Bus The Biggest Political Mistake In History?

[SeaDoo77]

I just watched the start of Saturday Night Live.

Seems like "the folks there" still like SENATOR Franken a lot.

So do I.

What "his party" did to him, for what I consider (from what I've seen) minor mistakes, or possible fraud makes me furious (for loss of a better term).

Who am I? Someone who watches news every day, and is practically a political junkie. I am even considering running for congress myself. I campaign for, donate to, phone bank for, door knock for, and try to get "my friends" elected. DEMOCRATS! I have donated over 10k to Democrats since 2000, and I am not rich. That is how much I care about my country.

This (me) is exactly the kind of DEMOCRAT 30 some odd folks pissed off like there is no tomorrow. I simply will never feel the same about being a Democrat. I have called Pramila, Patty, and Maria's office DEMANDING they apologize to Senator Franken, and beg him to stay until the "claims" are properly investigated. That would be THE RIGHT THING to do. To hell with Roy Moore, and the political aspirations of a number of office seekers. It's called standing on principles, and acting out of character in my book. Keep in mind half the people in this country that can vote don't. Even when they are faced with a lying dirt bag like Trump they don't vote. The reasons why they don't vote aren't being addressed by what happened.

Please don't smoke this thread. I have read practically every comment on DU for days and it seems like 90% of the people here feel EXACTLY the same way. I had a "stay Al" thread and it was #1 for over 24 hours with almost 400 recs.

I needed to say something.

Personally I think "they" should rethink their demand that Al resign, and look into the claims, and see if expulsion is the correct action.

It may be, but just throwing him off the cliff they way they did makes me sick to my stomach (worse).

The expulsion of Senator Franken is in my mind the biggest political blunder of all time in America, as it relates to me, and how I feel about my "party".

Just being honest.

Bye account......

[rusty quoin]

1. Oh God no.

[LenaBaby61]

20. THIS

[dchill]

35. Yeah, not even quite. But it IS pretty bad.

[SFnomad]

2. Biggest Political Mistake In History? Not. Even. Close. n/t

[flamingdem]

4. History during the time with the current Dem leadership

Think of a worse blunder during Schumer's time for example

[SFnomad]

5. I answered the question in the OP. Not. Even. Close. n/t

[TrollBuster9090]

30. Not only in RECENT history, no.

My list in recent history (ie-Schumer, being elected in 1998.)

Biggest mistakes:

1. Dropping the PUBLIC OPTION from Obamacare, and watering it down to appease Olympia Snow for the sake of faux bi-partisanship

2. Dumping Howard Dean as the DNC Chair

3. Dedicating two thirds of the 2009 "stimulus" bill to tax cuts, which do NOTHING to actually stimulate the economy, in the hopes of appeasing Republicans that had no intention of supporting the bill anyway.

4. Eric Holder deciding NOT to throw two or three hundred Wall Street executives in JAIL for financial fraud etc. He should have taken a lesson from George H.W. Bush, and how he handled the Savings and Loan scandal.



If you go further back in history, I'd also add...

Biggest mistakes:

1. Ted Kennedy trying to primary Jimmy Carter in 1979, wounding Carter to the point that Reagan could defeat him. That's what started the whole TRICKLE-DOWN mess that has been a scourge on the American middle class for 35 years.

2. Allowing a GOP Congress to pass the CFMA Act, which repealed Glass-Steagall during the Clinton Administration.

3. Allowing Fannie May and Freddie Mac to be 'privatized' in the 1960s. For 30 years those companies greatly expanded the wealth and prosperity of the working class, as long as they were fully controlled by the government, and fully accountable to the people. They only became a financial menace when they were privatized, and were able to lobby Congress like any other crooked company.

[dchill]

36. "Dumping Howard Dean as the DNC Chair ."

There's your sign.

[treestar]

39. If they didn't get the votes for the public option, what could they do?

The biggest mistake was letting an Independent run in the Democratic Primary, hurting the candidate enough to the point that an Orange Asshole could defeat her.

[SFnomad]

46. My issue with dumping the public option was the way it was dumped before negotiations started

Knowing that it didn't have the votes to be passed, it could have been used as a bargaining chip to get other things ... like maybe Medicare buy-in at 50 or 55. Instead President Obama dropped the public option before anyone came to the bargaining table.

[flamingdem]

3. I agree, worst of this era. I can't get over it. I don't think I can forgive on this one.

I wish we could get it through their heads. The leadership has got to react to this outpouring. They cannot pretend not to hear it.

What can we do so they know the depth of their colossal fuckup?

[lunasun]

13. After finding out more about the history of the accusers , the ones that are known ( many remain

anonymous ) I really can not get over the lack of investigation of these claims before the rush to judgement the senators made
If they could do this to a peer in less than one day, what kind of damage to voters could they approve with haste ?
I thought we had republicans to try and mess up the dem party but the senators seem to be taking that job on now withthe call for Franken's resignation
Plenty will agree now screw the mantra you should be able to just get over it accept it and move on in unison

[flamingdem]

15. And good grief if we end up losing a senate seat over this

And we lose ACA and so many other things as a result

Because he attempted to kiss someone and grabbed someone's waist.

I can't take the leadership seriously anymore

[braddy]

6. Not the biggest, but very close for recent history.

[lunasun]

7. It was a big mistake IMO . Biggest ? I don't know but the party is looking at blowback

from this now at least from many voters that $upported the dem party and I agree about non voters . Not the calling card needed to bring them in either.

[First Speaker]

8. The "biggest political mistake in history" occurred in Germany in 1933...

...when von Papen and von Hindenburg conspired to get Hitler named Chancellor. "Don't worry--we can control him!" That didn't work out too well...the decision of Ryan, McConnell, and Co, to support Trump so they could get their agenda thru...I think that's a blunder that may well rival von Papen's, before too much more time has passed. Deals with the Devil never work out too well. The Franken blunder is in the middle range, I would say...

[flamingdem]

10. I think that Ryan, McConnell and Co. on on the verge of getting what they want

and Trump is a decent enough foil.

Probably is taking years off their lives though

[SeaDoo77]

9. Been Calling A Senator With The Initials KG For Days - No One Answers The Phone - Tried 50 Times

I take it others are just as pissed off (or perhaps worse) as I am.

[flamingdem]

11. Try her facebook page or twitter

Then others will see how you feel too, it's rowdy over there

[Denzil_DC]

14. There's a LONG queue on Twitter.

I did a simple search just for "Gillibrand": https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=news&q=gillibrand&src=typd

I've never seen anything like it, and I do searches like that quite often. A handful of supportive Tweets among the couple of hundred I looked at.

I did try one on "Hirono" for comparison, but you need to add "Franken" as a search term or you end up with a whole load of non-English tweets. Some heat, nowhere near as much.

I haven't tried much with the male Dems' names because I don't have endless time and it's not clear where to start. Booker's getting some attention for calling on Trump to resign. That's positive, but given all that's been going on, why the hell is that call news, and why is he a lone voice?!

[flamingdem]

16. Gawd I hope someone makes her read it

Imagine they don't and she's protected from the controversy.

Assistants do that..

[Denzil_DC]

17. I'm not fussed whether she reads it.

I guess she'll have social media staff, they should certainly be registering it, among the calls, emails and letters.

My main point was that if anyone imagines that the current outrage is restricted to DU and overstated and it's time to "get over it" or stop "pouting", as we're so charmingly being patronized, then they may have a very rude awakening ahead of them. Like I said, I've never seen such a uniform response.

[flamingdem]

18. Exactly. Everyone I know, more moderate and more left are on the same page

Everyone mentions it, everyone is steamed.

[Denzil_DC]

19. It's not "the biggest mistake in political history", but it's a horrible mess, and so unnecessary.

It's hard to see a way out of it unless something earth-shattering happens soon that either overwhelms everyone's attention (I don't even want to THINK what that might be with Trump as POTUS) or leads the way to a climbdown over Franken resigning while allowing all those involved to save face.

[flamingdem]

22. Now the potus pack is reduced as well

and that's the silver lining. Kamala Harris and Gillibrand are not going to survive this.

That leaves Bernie and Warren? We need new blood fast

[Denzil_DC]

23. A functional caucus with some effective, sane leadership would be a start!

Gotta go now. Hang in there.

[mythology]

43. Polling says otherwise

Even back in November half of poll respondents said he should resign, with only 22% saying he should stay. 49% of Democrats in the poll said he should resign.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/22/al-franken-senate-resign-poll-257554

You can say that all the people you know want him to stay, but that's not a statistically random sample.

[flamingdem]

44. Who conducted the poll and what were the questions?

I didn't and don't trust that poll one iota especially since there was a hit job going on

[BoneyardDem]

12. Nope not even close

Now....what's the point of all of these types of posts. Time to move on. Lots of talent amongst Dems. Many can step up and badger Sessions. Let's give them the head to do so instead of reliving that which cannot be changed.

[YOHABLO]

21. Words are weapons in politics, Franken used his mind and his words well.

Last edited Sun Dec 10, 2017, 04:20 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm very disappointed the Dems didn't support him due to the spurious allegations. He should have had due process. But we have no other choice but to move on. I'm really tired of Dems saying: "our friends across the aisle" or "my colleague" They are not our friends nor our colleagues. They are the enemy. And because of them people will lose their livelihood, and their lives! The Dem Senators and Representatives should be as angry as their constituents. I don't see the anger nor fervor I need to see. We're sitting here waiting for action.

[orangecrush]

24. Yes.

[Scruffy1]

27. At least the worst since 2016.

I think the whole party is drifting without any real leadership at the moment. We spend all of our time reacting, not acting. It's a mess, but then remember what Will Rogers said. "I am not a member of any otganized political party. I'm a Democrat." If you want a party that marches in lock step (or else) there are some options on the right and the left.

[Drunken Irishman]

25. Not even the biggest political mistake of the last 14 months...

THAT mistake was Hillary failing to campaign aggressively in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

[Pachamama]

26. Not the Biggest Political Mistake in History, but a Whopper and I think it will be one that only in

...time will be recognized for its blunder and failure - and the consequences will be bad on many levels and no good from it.

I am so disgusted and disheartened by this mistake and it’s strangely affected me in a way I can’t describe. I would say I really don’t feel very optimistic about the future outlook for how the Democratic Party under the leadership of Tom Perez, Chuck Schumer and the political Lynch mob that went to a gunfight with a knife and stabbed their own has a chance to lead this Nation forward with all we are facing. And outside of the DU I am speaking with friends and family who are Democrats and Feminists and they feel the same way. I don’t need to read Gillibrand’s Facebook page comments - I am seeing and hearing it around my friend circles. This was a mistake of epic proportions in my opinion and a failure by the Democratic Party that we haven’t seen the consequences yet that will harm us all.

[SHRED]

28. I relate to your angst

A lot of us do.

[More_Cowbell]

29. if you kept watching SNL...

then you saw their character Cathy Ann on Weekend Update mocking the idea that Alabama voters would vote for Doug Jones because Franken resigned. She also said that no Moore voters will tell pollsters that they're voting for Moore.

Cathy Ann and I are disturbingly on the same track, this week!

[burrowowl]

31. K&R

[Lil Missy]

32. Not hardly. Not even in the top 10.

[stuffmatters]

33. Opening ? to Santa said it perfectly: "What did Franken do?" That kid spoke for SNL and most of us.

[dchill]

34. Rethinking is NOT something politicians generally do.

Which is extremely unfortunate.

[agincourt]

37. If they did it to hurt Moore they are wrong.

He's going up in the RCP poll compilation now. Even the folks on the Jimmy Dore show thought it was a stupid move.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

38. Political history is a very long time

but I am sure it will figure prominently when the history of this absurd sexual moral panic we find ourselves in is written.

[Danascot]

40. No, but

The Dems responsible finished the hit job on Franken that the GOP ratfuckers started. The GOP doesn't need our help in its drive to destroy us.

The rush to judgement has badly divided Democrats at a time when party unity is critical.

What they were likely hoping would be seen as a responsible, high-minded action is instead perceived as a cynical political calculation and diminished their stature, and ours as Democrats.

[EllieBC]

41. No. Being lazy and whiny and not showing up to vote in 2016

was the largest political mistake made by millions.

[R B Garr]

42. You bring up some excellent points. Not sure about the biggest blunder in history,

but at this time of obvious traitors and self-admitted sexual abusers in the White House, it is the biggest blunder for this time. She has basically legitimized fake news -- she has done the RW'ers work for them. Only an ethics investigation could have gotten to the bottom of who the accusers were, and to deny that, she has allowed fake news in the form of allegations to thrive. It is mind-boggling how this was blundered and overplayed.

Great points about the people who worked on Franken's campaigns and who invested in him. Gillibrand also threw them under the bus. It's just disgusting that she would think overturning an election for some picture taking shenanigans is acceptable on any level. This whole episode is beyond outrageous. She needs to fix it STAT!

[Progressive dog]

45. Expulsion is not the same as resignation

Franken was not expelled so expelling Franken was not the "biggest political blunder of all time in America".

[DavidDvorkin]

47. It doesn't compare with Julius Caesar deciding against staying home that day

But it certainly is a big mistake.

[L. Coyote]

48. It isn't even a mistake. It is what Franken and others decided was the best thing to do.